When I was growing up in Northern California, we had access to two television stations and several radio stations. Our family didn’t get our first television until I was twelve in 1962. We were allowed to watch television on Sunday evenings only and it was usually limited to Lassie and Ed Sullivan. So there wasn’t much bad news to be exposed to in the time I grew up.
Today it is quite a different story. We are bombarded with more information every day than when we used to in a whole month. What we do with that information is the question.
I personally have a challenge with bad news. I take it personally and then have a hard time shedding the effects which can range from sleepless nights to instigating a new organization to fight the injustices.
So I filter what I am exposed to. I no longer read newspapers and I rarely watch the news on television (unless it’s the BBC News) and I only catch the news on NPR. I’m still more informed than most people I know and can always keep up with conversations about current events.
